A Vow is Not Enough
by EiraSolveig
Summary: Can she forgive him after what he and his family did to her? Does he want her forgiveness? A marriage law takes wizarding Britain by surprise. For some, there was happiness. Hermione doesn't want to forgive him, and she will never forget what they did. She didn't know why this was happening, or what she did to deserve this, but she will not break. TEMPORARY HIATUS. Not abandoned.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger sat in her office at the Ministry contemplating the Prophet. Yet another article had taken the front page concerning the population count in the magical world. The Battle of Hogwarts had taken place 6 months ago. Only in the last few months had it become public how high the death toll was in Britain's wizarding world. She knew that with the amount of emphasis the ministry was placing on these numbers that something would have to be done. What, she didn't know. None of her friends or coworkers seemed to share her concern. They believed the problem would work itself out in time.

She went back to her work. Since the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had retired last month, Hermione had been doing whatever she could to make her name known. She wanted that position. She had some great ideas that she thought would really bring the world wide magical communities together. Her goals were to promote equality among all magical beings. If all the magical communities banded together and helped one another, then the threat of a dark wizard taking over Britain, or any country, would be significantly minimized, as no one would feel ostracized, and therefore feel the need to band together with wizards like Lord Voldemort. She sighed and continued her current project.

The next morning was Tuesday, the November the 10th, Anna was pouring over some documents at her desk when a paper airplane zoomed toward her, landing on her paperwork. She noticed it was an official document from another department in the ministry.

 _Ms. Granger_

 _As you have undoubtedly heard from numerous communications from the Ministry to the public, the British magical population is at great risk. Our numbers suffered a huge loss at the culmination of the second wizarding war. In an effort to prevent the extinction of magical lines throughout Britain, the ministry will be enforcing a new marriage law. Every unmarried woman, age 35 and under, and unmarried man, age 45 and under, shall be matched with partner. These couples will be expected to marry and produce one child within the first 3 years of marriage, the only exception to this being documentation of infertility. Any couples currently in a committed relationship or engagement may choose to remain so, provided they reply within 24 hours notifying us._

 _We know this may come as a surprise, but we hope that you will be willing to acquiesce for the good of our community. Failure to do so could result in a 3-year Azkaban sentence. You will receive another letter within the week informing you of who the best partner for you would be. Once received, you will have a period of 30 days in which to perform the ceremony. The ministry has been working diligently to create a method of selecting which individuals are most suited to each other in order to yield the best results for happiness and reproduction. We thank you in advance for your cooperation._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Roselyn Tully_

 _Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Hermione stared at the letter. This was much more than she had expected. She didn't know what she had expected, to be honest, but it wasn't this. Forcing people to marry? She took notice of how quiet it suddenly was. For a few moments, there was nothing, then the murmuring started. She realized that everyone, at least those that were currently unmarried, must have received the letter as well. She got up and walked out of her cubicle, still clutching the letter. She was not alone. Everyone seemed to be coming out, wanting confirmation that this was, in fact, serious.

"Hermione! You got one too? I can't believe this." Hermione turned to face one her partners in her department, Cassidy Bobbin.

"Wait, Cas, why did you get one? You have already been married."

"Yes, but my husband was killed wasn't he? So technically I'm unmarried. They must be desperate to be going after the widows too." Hermione couldn't help but agree as she walked back to her desk, one thing on her mind. Not only was she being forced to marry, but they were going to pick her husband as well. And if she didn't like it, the alternative was a three year sentence to Azkaban. She couldn't stop herself from thinking that it couldn't get much worse. She was wrong.

Over the next few days, people through the building were receiving their letters. Hermione couldn't help think how lucky Harry was that he had Ginny. They had agreed that this, though sooner than expected, would have been where they were headed anyway. She and Ron had split shortly after the battle of Hogwarts. After finally being able to be in a relationship, and not on the run or with anything else standing in the way, they determined they would be better as friends. She loved Ron, but realized it was more like the way she felt about Harry. Before he left them last winter, Hermione had felt the chemistry, the spark. But when he walked away from her and Harry, something changed. She was so happy when he came back, but no longer felt the flutter in her stomach, or the quickening in her heart. She was just now starting to trust him again, and that was a large part of why they didn't work in the beginning. She sighed. There was nothing she could do at this point but await her own letter.

By the time lunch came around that following Monday, 6 days after receiving her first letter, Hermione was the only person in her department left who had not been matched. She was headed to see the minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He had sent her a memo requesting she meet with him over her lunch break. She didn't know why he wanted to see her, but was hoping to bring forward some of her ideas on werewolf equality. On the lifts, she ran right into Harry and Ron, who were headed toward the Aurors department.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "How are you? It feels like forever since we saw you." He said with a smile. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"You saw me last night you prat. How are you and Ginny, Harry? I missed you guys last night at dinner." Hermione had gone over to the Weasley's for Sunday dinner. She tried to go and help Mrs. Weasley as much as possible since the battle. Fred's death had really gotten to her. She seemed last night to be finally mending, at least a little. She laughed a bit more, but it was hard.

"Oh, we are great. Since last week, though, Ginny has been in a frenzy of wedding planning. And don't get me started on Mrs. Weasley. You would swear she has been waiting for this day since Ginny was born. It's exhausting." He said, but the little smile he had told her that he wasn't nearly as bothered as he made it seem.

"Lavendar is the same. I have seen more flowers and lace in the last 4 days than I ever want to see again." Ron had been matched with Lavendar Brown, something Hermione and Harry took great pleasure in teasing him about, last Thursday. Lavendar still bore the scars from her attack by Greyback, but had seemed to really mature since 6th year. Ron had been hesitant about meeting her again, but had been pleasantly surprised. They seemed to be getting along well.

"Oh, you two. This may only happen once. Don't give them a hard time." She smiled. The lift stopped, and Harry and Ron made to get off.

"Are we still on for dinner tonight, 'Mione?" Harry asked. The three of them and Ginny were set to hang out this evening.

"Wouldn't miss it." She said. They each said their goodbyes, and the two men walked off, as Hermione continued on the lift.

When she reached the correct floor, she got off and headed down to Kingsley office, lightly knocking on the door.

"Come in," called the deep, calming voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. He was seated at his desk, looking through a stack of papers, as he silently gestured to one of the two chairs in front of his desk. After a minute, he found what he was looking for, and put everything away, before turning to face her.

"Miss Granger. I am glad you had time to meet with me."

"Of course, Minister, though I must admit that I am not sure why I am here."

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I don't know where to start," he looked up noting her worried expression, "No, nothing has happened," he hurried to say. "There is just a circumstance that has occurred which may be…unpleasant to comprehend, at first." He took another deep breath. "I know you have been awaiting your own letter regarding your match with this new marriage." She nodded, confused as to why he would bring that up. "You will be getting that letter later this afternoon. However, I felt the need to prepare you before seeing it, as I know this will cause you no small amount of shock."

"I'm afraid I don't understand. I know full well what is expected of me, and that I could be paired with anyone."

"Hermione," He said, dismissing formalities for the moment, making her even more uneasy as she considered his serious demeanor, "I wanted to speak with you personally about this matter, because you have a bit of history with the man in question."

Her confusion grew. History? She thought everyone she knew had already been paired off. She racked her brain trying to think of who was left, but came up empty.

"Hermione, the man you have been paired with is…" Just then the door to Kingsley's office opened and in walked Lucius Malfoy.

"Lucius, the time I gave you isn't for 15 minutes."

"I see Miss Granger is already here, so surely we can move this along." Hermione looked back and forth between Mr. Malfoy and Kingsley. Kingsley looked worried before slowly turning his gaze back to her. There was silence for several seconds.

"Hermione, Mr. Malfoy is here at my request, though he is earlier than expected." Suddenly, Hermione felt all the color drain from her face, and her hearted started to race. Surely not. There would only be one reason why Lucius Malfoy would be allowed to stay for her conversation regarding who she was matched with. Hermione felt the horror wash over her. In a quiet, calm voice, like steel, she said,

"You cannot be serious, Kingsley. This is more than history."

"I assure you I am quite serious. This is who you were matched with."

"How is he even eligible? He has already been married and produced an heir of his own."

"Mr. Malfoy is within the age specifications, and tragic as the incident was, Narcissa Malfoy perished a week after the battle. She was attacked by death eaters who were on the run, and attacked her or betraying Voldemort. So he is an eligible, unmarried man."

"Eligible or no, I was tortured in his house. He did nothing to stop it from happening, and you expect me to marry him?" She couldn't bring herself to look at Malfoy. "What kind of test would have ever paired us together?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger. This is why I called you in here, rather than you just find out through a letter. I expected this would be hard to take in." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything she, Harry, and Ron had done, they would do this to her. The war was finally over. She should be able to finally relax and recover after everything she had been through. There were so many other people. She couldn't bring herself to say anything more. If they were going to do something about this situation, then they already would have. After a few minutes of intense silence, Kingsley spoke again.

"I know you each know what is expected. You must marry within 30 days, and are expected to produce heirs. If you do not agree to this, you would be charged with breaking the law and sentenced to three years in Azkaban. I hope you can see past your current feelings, and do what is expected, no matter how difficult it may seem now." Hermione could feel herself start to panic, so she controlled her facial features, stood, took last, long look at Kingsley and left the office. Kingsley sighed and turned to look at Lucius Malfoy, who hadn't said a word since arriving.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hermione left Kingsley's office briskly. Instead of going back to her office, she went straight for the fireplaces and floo'd home. Once there, she paced furiously around her flat. How could they do this to her? She would have done her duty and married whoever they told her, but did it have to be Lucius Malfoy? Lucius Malfoy, of all people? The groan that escaped her was a near scream. She ran her hands roughly through her hair, before collapsing on the couch.

She had been laying there for a while when Harry came through the floo.

"Hermione." He said, coming over to her side. She slowly sat up, and he sat down beside her.

"Oh, Harry. You won't guess what happened today." She said, her eyes swimming.

"I know. Kingsley came to find me. He told me about… about him."

"Why him, Harry? I can answer everything else, but not that. I cannot begin to think why he was chosen." The tears started falling silently. Harry scooted closer, putting his arms around her.

"I know. I tried talking to Kingsley. I demanded he do something, make some exception, but he can't, Hermione. Or wont. It doesn't matter. But you can't go to Azkaban."

"I can't marry him either, Harry! Not after everything that happened last spring. Draco and Narcissa didn't want any part in what happened, but I don't believe for a second that he feels the same way." Harry understood. When the Malfoys were put on trial, he had testified on Draco and Narcissa's behalf, and found not guilty because of their efforts during the battle. Lucius had been in Azkaban for 3 months when he was released. Harry wasn't sure what evidence was brought forth to recommend his release, but since then, Lucius Malfoy had kept his nose clean, and had re-entered society. It had only been three months since his release, but the ministry was keeping a close eye on him, and so far they seemed to think he had put the past behind him. Harry sighed once more.

"I know that, but what other option is there? Azkaban? I won't let you, Hermione. Neither will Ron, or any of the others. You have to marry Malfoy, but that doesn't mean you are under his control. You do what you have to, but you don't have to leave your life. You marry him, continue to do your work and make a difference, still see and hang out with us, still have Sunday dinner with the Weasley's, still live your life. The only thing that changes is your marital status."

"And the fact that I now will be forced to have children with a man I detest."

"Not right now. You have time to prepare for that." Hermione sighed. Harry was right. She needed to look at this more like a business transaction, not a prison sentence. She would do what was needed to stay out of Azkaban so she could continue to make a difference with her work and see her friends.

"You are right. Of course you are." She hugged him once more. "Thank you, Harry."

"No problem." He smiled. "But I do have one more thing. Everyone is expecting you for dinner tonight. They already know what is going on. Don't be angry at me for telling them," he hurried to add, seeing her reaction, "I just figured it would be easier if they already knew, so that you didn't have to deal with their initial reactions and questions on top of everything else. This way, the shock will have faded." Hermione nodded. He was right again. She wouldn't want to deal with that at all. She was lucky he knew her so well. Though she loved Ron just as much as Harry, she had to admit that if he were the one here right now, she would probably still be crying on the couch. Ron was great at a lot of things, but feelings weren't one of them. He tended to just rub his neck and go for help when it came to tears. Harry was definitely better at that part.

* * *

Later that evening, Hermione arrived back at her flat. She had a wonderful time. After a tense beginning, during which every tried to console her, everything managed to settle during dinner. After, she went down with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Percy, George, and Mr. Weasley, to the paddock by the pond and watched them play a game of quidditch until they couldn't see any more in the dark. At the moment they had finally decided to call it a night, the downpour started. By the time they reached the house, they were all soaking wet and laughing. Hermione smiled, remembering.

She started down the hall toward the bathroom to take a shower. When she was finished, she threw on a pair of worn grey shorts, and a light blue tank top. She did a drying charm on her hair. She looked in the mirror. Once, her hair was so bushy that it was entirely untamable. Now, her hair was at least smooth enough to be manageable, and more curly than bushy. She went back to the kitchen to make a cuppa and grab a book. Just as she was finishing her tea, a peculiar tingle went through her. She looked up, for this signaled that her wards were detecting someone apparating outside her door. They could not apparate inside the flat itself. Her wards prevented that. Right on cue, there came the sound of two short knocks on her door. Holding her cup, she went to the door, and peered out of the peep hole. There, on her doorstep, was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione's pulse quickened. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked calmly through the door.

"I am here to bring by the contract for you to sign. Unless you have chosen to go to Azkaban." He said in a quiet, cool, deep voice. Forgetting caution, she opened the door.

"Why are you at my home? You could have brought it to me at work." She answered angrily. Lucius Malfoy was startled at her sudden appearance. He took in her attire, keeping his facial expression under control. Hermione could feel him judging her appearance, but could make nothing of his thoughts through his unreadable mask.

"Yes. I could have. However, I am not one to stall, particularly as I have heard much of your stubbornness. I thought I should get this to you as soon as possible, as I am sure you will have opinions on a few things, and who knows how long it will take you to explain them." Hermione was offended, but before she could say anything, he turned on the spot and disappeared. She groaned and stomped back into her flat. The nerve of him! She sat down at her kitchen table and started to read.

The more she read, the angrier she became. At first, the contract was just a normal contract of marriage. However, once past that, she got to the section where Malfoy had put in conditions of his own. He demanded that she take his name, as all future children would bear the Malfoy name. She had expected that. He was too proud to allow anything else. That she could accept, distasteful to her as it was. What really set her off were the clauses on their…intimacy. He put in a clause demanding that they share the marriage bed at least once per week. He put in another that, under no circumstances, were contraceptions, magical or muggle, to be used until the required number of children were provided. Finally, he forbid that she have any relations of a sexual nature with any other person. The third one she could understand. The first two were an entirely different matter. She knew that this was to fulfill the requirements of the marriage law as quickly as possible, but that didn't make the ideas any easier to swallow. He would not force her to any sort of schedule. She thought back to her talk with Harry. She would need time before coming to terms with the idea of doing anything with Lucius Malfoy. There was no way his 'schedule' was going to work for her.

She huffed once more, and started writing in revisions of her own. Once finished, she stacked everything on the table, and went to bed. There was no way she was ready to go to Malfoy Manor. She would deliver the papers back to him tomorrow at the ministry.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay in updating. I decided it would probably be best to write out a few chapters ahead of time rather than posting as I go. Also, thank you to everyone who has favorited or followed, and, especially, REVIEWED! Reviews are love. Please let me know what you think!**

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Chapter 3

The next day, Hermione rose early and prepared for work. She took care to dress smartly. She wanted to make sure that Lucius Malfoy knew exactly who he was dealing with. She put on a black pencil skirt, silky cream blouse, and bright red pumps. Then she drew on her black robes and left for the ministry.

On a typical day, the ministry was bustling with people, but today it was positively swarming. With the marriage law, people were coming in to get all of the necessary arrangements set up to make sure all of the deadlines were met. Hermione made it to her office and deposited her bags. The crowds had put her just a bit behind schedule and she had to rush to her first meeting. She was meeting with a representative of the Lycan community. She was hoping to pass a bill to insure there was no discrimination in the workforce for those with lycanthropy. It would be an uphill battle but it was one she knew must be fought.

Her meeting with the werewolf went well. He was respected in his own community. Without Fenrir Greyback to hover over them, the werewolves were coming together in packs. This leader was particularly interested in the work Hermione was doing within the ministry. She went back to her office in high spirits. Once she sat down at her desk, she saw the folders that she needed to take over to Malfoy Sr. She sighed, smoothed her attire, grabbed the folder, and left her office.

She had worried that he wouldn't be in the ministry today, and that she would have to owl him to set up a meeting. Luckily, after making some inquiries, she learned that the Wizengamot was meeting today. Each member had an office on the lower floors of the ministry. This is where she found Lucius Malfoy. For half a moment, she had considered just leaving the folder with the receptionist. However, her Gryffindor courage and pride made her pull herself up straighter, and allowed the receptionist to announce her arrival. Upon entering, she saw Lucius Malfoy standing at his desk, back to her, surrounded by paperwork, and tying a letter to a handsome eagle owl. Once the owl had departed, he turned to her.

"Miss Granger. To what do I owe the pleasure?" His striking gray eyes seemed to look right through her with cold curiosity. Her heart beat just a bit faster at his intimidating countenance. She walked to him, noticing that his tall frame towered over her, and handed over the folder with the amended documents.

"I am simply returning your corrected contract. Please, do let me know should you have any questions." And with that she simply turned and left the office. He quirked an eyebrow at her retreating form. After the door had closed behind her, he opened the folder and began to read the documents. She had agreed to take his last name, and that any children would as well. Not that she would have had a choice in that particular matter, but it was easier that she agreed up front. As to the rest, it seemed that they were going to have a problem. She completely threw out all of his suggestions for regular… meetings. He would have thought she would be amenable to that, as it would allow them to get their job done more quickly. She didn't, however, throw out the ban on contraceptives. She just disregarded the need for it. He sighed. She also forbade him from ever forcing himself on her. As if he would ever need to. He had never, not even in the Dark Lord's service, ever forced himself on a woman, and he had never strayed from the marriage bed. She also banned him from using any magic whatsoever against her, and she refused to stay in the same house as himself. However, there was one rule that made him absolutely furious. She stated that, in the event of any children born of their union, she would have sole custody and responsibility. After reading this, Lucius threw the paperwork onto his desk and owled his attorney.

* * *

Hermione went home that night exhausted. She had fully expected to hear from Malfoy soon after she had left him. She knew that some of what she had listed as conditions would anger him. She was surprised that he had not yet tried to make contact regarding them.

She kicked her heels off as she entered through the floo. Then she went straight to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine before starting on dinner. After finishing her food and putting the dishes away, she went to curl up on the couch with a book. After a few minutes, her wards tingled. After last night, she had a feeling who it might have been. She reached the door just as a single perfunctory knock sounded. She opened the door, and sure enough, there stood Lucius Malfoy. This time, however, he strode right past her to stand a few feet behind her. She shut the door and turned to face him.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. Please, do come in." She added with a hint of sarcasm. She noticed that though his features were blank, there was a coldness in his eyes that betrayed his frustration.

"Miss Granger. I am sure you know why I am here after you left me with this contract full of absurd stipulations." She sighed and motioned toward sitting room.

"Have a seat, Mr. Malfoy. Would you like some wine?" He declined. "And my stipulations are not absurd." She said as she walked to the armchair across from the one he had chosen. He placed the folder on the coffee table between them. "I have very good reasons for each of them, based on your past affiliations and behaviors, and on our past…interactions." She stated calmly.

"They are ridiculous, and you know it. Since we are on a strict timeline, we need this resolved now." She had expected this.

"Alright, then. Which conditions do you have issues with, and what do you propose instead?" She took a sip from her glass, mentally preparing for what was to come.

"First, separate residences are not acceptable." He began. And thus it went for nearly two hours. During this time he had reconsidered her offer of wine. After two hours, a bottle of wine, and many arguments, they finally came to an agreement. She would be moving into Malfoy Manor after the ceremony, which would be taking place in the 2nd week of December. She had tried to get him to agree to just doing it at the ministry, but Malfoy pride stopped that idea in its tracks. She was able to insist on a small intimate ceremony instead of the large, opulent affair he originally proposed, stating that it was what was expected of a Malfoy. While there would be no contraceptives, he had agreed not to enforce a mandate on when they should share a bed, though it was understood that the ministry would expect it with some frequency. They had their suspicions that the ministry would invoke their own frequency conditions if people weren't cooperative. The worst argument came when talking of future children. He paced around the room in anger as she tried to argue her way into sole custody. He would not have it, and told her that any children sired by him would not be taken away. If they had children, as magical marriages were non-terminable, then there would be no separation. She had reluctantly agreed, as it was a fair request, and as they would be his children too. The last point had to do with her own concerns for her safety. Originally, she wanted it clear that he was to use absolutely no magic against her, whatsoever. This stemmed from her experiences prior to the law, particularly what happened in his home last spring. However, she acquiesced to the point that neither would purposely try to harm the other, and that, if needed, self-defense was expected. All in all, they had compromised, and sent the necessary provisions off to Lucius' attorney to be drawn up. They made plans to meet before leaving work tomorrow to sign the official contract that the attorney would be sending Lucius.

After Lucius finally departed, Hermione poured herself another glass of wine and collapsed, exhausted, on the couch. Her last thought before sleep overtook her was that tomorrow, everything would change. She would sign the paperwork that would be the stepping stone to her becoming the new Mrs. Lucius Malfoy. She only hoped she was strong enough to face the challenges ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I decided to post this update a little early as a gift for all of my lovely readers! Please let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing! Though I wish it were otherwise.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Hermione was fuming. She was halfway thinking that she would rather just take her chances in Azkaban. She rushed through the halls of the ministry, barely noting anything around her. Early this morning, as she was getting ready for work, an owl came in. It was from the ministry, stating that Mr. Malfoy had to push their meeting up to first thing this morning, rather than after work. Due to timing, that meant that Hermione only had half an hour until the meeting began. That was twenty five minutes ago. Now, as she rushed through the ministry, she tried to think of ways to remain calm throughout the meeting and not strangle Lucius Malfoy on sight.

With three minutes to go, she stopped outside the office of the Department of Magical Contracts and Marriages. She pulled herself together with a deep breath, and put on the blank mask she was determined would remain through the entirety of this meeting. Though her heart raced with sudden anxiety at what was about to happen, that was something no one else need to be privy to. She opened the door and went to the receptionist, who informed her that Mr. Magorem was awaiting her arrival and that Mr. Malfoy had already gone through. Hermione briskly walked over to door indicated and entered. Both gentlemen rose as she entered.

"Ms. Granger! It is a pleasure! Please, sit and join Mr. Malfoy and myself." He gestured emphatically to the chair next to Lucius', in front of his desk. Hermione looked from Mr. Magorem to glare at Malfoy. Other than a quick smirk at her, Malfoy's face was impassive. Hermione quickly reverted back to her blank, unreadable expression.

"Yes, well. Let's get started shall we. I am sure you two are very well acquainted with each other after going through this contract so precisely." He looked up for confirmation, but the two across from him just stared back, expressions unreadable. "Well, I just have to go over everything here with you, so you both know exactly what is included, and that nothing was changed without both of you being aware." Then he proceeded to go over everything, from all the guidelines laid out in the law, to the actual binding and ceremony, finally ending with all of their agreed upon clauses. Once he finished, he asked if either of them had any questions, to which they again remained silent. Finally, they both had to sign the document stating that they would be married within the next 30 days. Once signed, there was no going back. Malfoy signed and put the quill back down. Hermione picked it up and, hoping Malfoy didn't notice the slight tremor of her hand or the deep calming breath she took, she signed her name on the appropriate line.

"Perfect! I will get all of this finalized, and I cannot wait to hear about the ceremony. I wish you both the best of luck." They all stood and shook hands with Mr. Magorem before departing his office. They walked silently down the hall to the lifts, and remained silent for the ride to the floor where Hermione's office was located. Reaching her level, she immediately stepped out. She started to walk in the direction of her office.

"Ms. Granger, a moment." She turned around, surprised to see him follow her off the lift. She waited for him to continue, saying nothing. "Now that we have signed the paperwork, word about our…pairing, will be bound to get out. No matter how intimate a ceremony it is, there are still many details to oversee. My event planner will be at the manor this Saturday to get your opinions and go over ideas. We will expect you at ten in the morning." Hermione stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding. Malfoy took her silence to mean her agreement and started to turn and leave.

"No." Hermione said quietly, but so succinct that Lucius had no trouble understanding her. He turned back.

"No?" He asked.

"No. I am not ready to go back to the manor. We can meet someplace else." She didn't care what he said, pleaded, or offered. She knew that eventually she would have to face what happened in the manor, but that time was not now. Not in just a few days.

Lucius regarded her intently. He couldn't believe that he had been in such a hurry to get everything out of the way that he didn't even think about what her reaction would be to his request. He sighed. Though he didn't care for this marriage arrangement, it was going to happen. Forcing her to do things before she was ready, especially since this particular something was going to be difficult no matter how prepared she was, would only make it harder for him as well. 'Pick your battles, Lucius,' he thought to himself.

"It will have to happen sooner or later," he started, quickly continuing when he saw the fire flare in her eyes, "but perhaps now is not the time. Very well. We can meet for a late breakfast and tea that morning. I will owl you the location." He turned and swept away. This time she didn't stop him. After he disappeared back into the lift, she exhaled the breath she had been holding and turned slowly towards her office. The morning had only just begun and she was already exhausted.

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly. She was due to have dinner with Harry and Ron Friday night at Grimmauld Place. After work on Friday, Hermione quickly stopped by her home to change into jeans and a jumper that Mrs. Weasley had made her one year. She then floo'd over to Grimmauld Place. As soon as she stepped out of the fire and into the kitchen, she saw Harry and Ginny at the table playing a game of exploding snap. She heard muffled voices arguing from the direction of the drawing room. She raised an eyebrow at Harry and Ginny who had waved at her entrance.

"Ron and Lavender. Those two can't agree on anything. Wedding plans making them crazy." Ginny said in exasperation.

"Ah, well, in that case, mind if I stay in here with you?" Harry laughed and replied,

"Not at all. Hopefully they are about done. It's almost time to eat." A few minutes more passed while Hermione watched them play, before Ron entered, red faced and dragging a hand down his face.

"Bloody hell, but weddings are a nightmare." He fell into a chair next to Harry, across from Ginny and Hermione. Ginny looked up.

"Where is Lavender?"

"She went ahead and went home. She was angry because I didn't like some bloody awful shade of yellow she picked out. Like I can't have my own opinions. It's my wedding too! But she wouldn't let go of it. Kept going on about how lovely it was, and unique, and a bunch of other things. Finally I just gave in. But then she got even angrier about me 'not caring' and 'just saying that to make her happy.' Then she left in a fit. She is confusing, that one." Hermione would like to say that she was able to maintain a straight face at this, but that would be a lie. A giggle escaped her before she could stop it. Ron just glared at her, which made her erupt into peals of laughter, which Harry and Ginny quickly joined.

"Alright! Shut up you three! It's not funny!" Which, of course, made them all laugh even more. He grunted and crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair in an irritated silence.

"Fine, fine. So, Hermione. How is everything? We haven't heard much from you this week? How's it coming with your… betrothed?" Ginny asked.

"As well as can be expected, I guess." She sighed. "He's a right pompous prick, of course, but we finally drew up and signed our contract earlier this week. I have to meet him tomorrow to start making plans for the wedding." Here Ron choked a bit on his water.

"Wedding plans? With Malfoy Sr.? Why are you having a big wedding? Blimey. You should just go and get it taken care of at the ministry. If it were me, I wouldn't be seen marrying a Death Eater." Hermione turned to Ron, suddenly angry.

"What is that supposed to mean? It's not like I have a choice here, Ronald. You might have gotten paired with a girl you deem good enough to marry in public, but that doesn't give you the right to judge me. Being a Malfoy, of course he will have a ceremony. It wouldn't be like a Malfoy to have anything less. But it isn't just for him. This is the only shot I get at being married. Magical vows are for life. So excuse me if I want to take advantage of this one thing that I actually get a say in. Yes, he may have been a Death Eater. Yes, I wouldn't have picked him if I had a choice. Do you think I want anything to do with any Malfoy's after what happened at the Manor last spring? Of course not, but I don't get a say. So I am making the best of it that I can. And if you don't like it, then don't come." After that rant, Hermione was breathing hard. Ron just stared at her, mouth hanging slightly open. After a moment, we collected himself.

"Alright, Hermione. Sorry. I didn't think. Merlin, don't tell me I can't come to the wedding though. Of course I want to be there." He looked properly scolded, and Hermione felt her anger dissipate.

"I'm sorry. I've just been under a lot of stress. Of course you can come. I hope you all will be there, even if it is to Lucius Malfoy." She looked around at all of them, looking on the verge of tears at the thought that they might reject her.

"Of course we'll be there, Hermione. Don't think any differently." Harry rushed to say.

"And I hope that you will be my Maid of Honor?" She asked Ginny. Ginny suddenly beamed.

"Only if you will be mine too!" She squealed. Hermione smiled and hugged the excited red head.

The rest of the evening passed in wonderful mix of fun, and few hours free of stress from work and their impending marriages. Hermione went home that night feeling like some of her burdens had gotten lighter, which was good, because she was sure to need all her strength and patience the following morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just a quick note. If you do not like the Lumione pairing, then just don't read. Do I understand that in any sort of canon compliant world that they would never be together? Yes. However, I think the pairing is interesting all the same. Realistic, no. Fun and entertaining? Yes. Also, thank you for the awesome reviews. Reviews are love.**

* * *

Chapter 5

"You cannot be serious, Father." Draco Malfoy said as he strode into his father's office Saturday morning. Lucius glanced up from some correspondence he was seeing to on his desk.

"Good morning to you as well. And what about, Draco? Please, be specific."

"Have you seen the Prophet this morning? Let me read it to you then." He cleared his throat before continuing, "Ex-Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, to Wed War Heroine and Golden-Trio Member, Hermione Granger." Here he looked up from the paper and threw it down onto the desk in front of Lucius.

"What is unclear about that? For once, the Prophet seems to have made the message abundantly clear." Lucius looked at his son. Draco seemed to be floundering for a response. His mouth was slightly open and there was an incredulous look upon his face.

"Is it true?" He finally asked. Lucius stared at him a moment longer, then sighed.

"It appears so. As a widower, I am, technically, unmarried. I also fall within the age category. Therefore, I fall under the requirements of the new marriage law. During the pairing process, I was paired with Ms. Granger." Draco just stared at him for a moment before starting to pace furiously around the room.

"Surely there is some way around that. You have been married and produced an heir. Me!" Here he stopped pacing for a second to look at his father, then continued he hurried paces. "And even if you couldn't get out of that, they can't pair you with Granger, of all people! She hates us! Especially after what happened last spring! Surely they would let her out of that agreement if she asked! I am sure if we asked…" Here Lucius had to interrupt his rant.

"I have tried, as has she. Not even Kingsley Shacklebolt could get her out of it, though you know how he favors the trio." He stated calmly.

"So what, then? You have to be married to her? That's it?!" He practically yelled.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I must get ready. I am meeting with her and the planner in an hour to discuss the ceremony."

"The ceremony?! Bloody hell, Father. I figured that you would want to make as little noise about this as possible." Draco ran a hand through his hair as he stopped pacing and faced his father.

"Quite the contrary. The Malfoys are still being held in… low regard. This needs to be remedied. Holding a ceremony and reception that is up to the Malfoy standards will help us start to win over the higher members of society, the Sacred Twenty-Eight. You know how they love the pomp and the glamour that they can never quite achieve like we can. As for Ms. Granger, well, she will be our key to Britain's wizarding community at large. You know how the people love the golden trio. Marrying into that will cement our key to the general populous. As intelligent as I am told she is, I am sure she can become a valuable asset. If we are all being forced to diversify the blood lines, then better a, what did your godfather call her, an insufferable know-it-all, than some unintelligent airhead." Draco looked astonished. His father seemed to have given this some thought. It could work, if Granger cooperated.

"And when is this affair to take place, then?"

"The second Saturday in December, the twelfth." Draco nodded his head in understanding, if not in agreement, and left his father to get ready.

* * *

Hermione walked into the café Malfoy had arranged, looking around. Unsurprisingly, Lucius Malfoy was already waiting for her. Well, she thought to herself, at least he is punctual. She took her seat across from him at the little table.

"Mr. Malfoy." She greeted, after giving the waitress her order for tea.

"Ms. Granger, it is tiring to be so formal all of the time, considering we are to be married. Do call me Lucius." She pursed her lips, and gave a single nod.

"Then you may as well call me Hermione."

"Excellent." Her tea was brought over. After a minute or so more, a middle aged woman with short, curly brown hair, and square glasses was ushered over to their table. She looked professional and detached, carrying a large folder, no doubt full of ideas and suggestions that Hermione would groan over.

"Lucius. Always a pleasure. And this must be Ms. Granger. Delighted to meet you." She said all this quickly, and without hesitation. Hermione immediately got the impression that this woman wasn't one to mince words. Hopefully, she put that to work, and wasted no time in planning by simpering over color schemes and such.

Over the next hour, they set out a rough outline of plans and ideas. Lucius settled for the smaller ceremony, as promised. It would be close friends and family. There would be a few others there as well, some close associates and friends of Lucius, but nothing of the caliber that he had originally been wanting. Surprisingly, he didn't put up much of a fuss about not inviting the whole wizarding community. She gave her thoughts to colors and décor. She had finally agreed to have it at the manor, though it would be on a part of the grounds situated away from the manor. Since that is where they would be living afterward, it only seemed logical that this be the deadline to get over her hesitation on the manor itself. Hermione was mentally exhausted trying to get all this answered.

When the planner asked who she wanted to escort her down the aisle, she didn't hesitate in responding with Arthur Weasley. Here, Lucius looked up sharply.

"Weasley?" He asked.

"Yes. My own father cannot, and he is the closest I have." Her own father still had no idea she existed. The memory wipe had been thorough and permanent. Hermione knew that when she did it. Though she missed her parents greatly, she knew nothing could be done.

"Then why not simply walk alone. Surely you cannot ask Arthur Weasley to be in my wedding?" He exclaimed. Hermione stared at him.

"Because I do not want to. I want him to be there."

"Hermione, do you honestly think Arthur Weasley will be agreeable to being involved in the wedding of a Malfoy?"

"Unlike you, Arthur is a mature adult. He can put aside petty differences for me. Obviously something you cannot." Here she stood. "Arthur will be walking me down the aisle. That is not negotiable." She gathered her bag and turned to the planner. "Mrs. Hoggleton, I do hope you will forgive my abrupt departure. Thank you for your time. I look forward to speaking with you over the next few weeks." And without another word, she swept from the restaurant. She was fuming. Was there not a single moment where Lucius Malfoy thought of anyone but himself?

She stood on the street taking deep breaths to calm herself. Then she apparated away to Diagon Alley. She didn't feel like going home just yet. She was too wound up. So she had decided to go to Flourish and Blotts to see about getting a new book or two. After finding a few that looked promising, she grabbed some lunch and headed home.

Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and reading. She was just about to start on making herself some dinner when an owl came to the window. At the tapping on the window she looked up. Seeing the small brown owl, she opened her window. The owl landed on the counter looking weary. It was ruffled and dusty from his trip. She took the scroll from his leg, setting it on the counter, before fetching some food and owl treats for the animal. The owl softly hooted his thanks. Once she had seen to the owl, she picked the scroll back up and unfurled it. The writing was messy and uneven, the parchment torn and stained. The message was short.

 _I am coming for you, girl. I had you once and you escaped. Now that you are to marry that traitor, Malfoy, it will make recapturing you that much sweeter. I can smell you even now. Soon._

Hermione gasped and shuddered, the letter falling to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

There was only one person who she could think of. Though, by now he hardly qualified as a person. Though she sympathized and fought for the werewolves, Fenrir Greyback had left behind his humanity. He was more animal than man now. Who else could it be with the way he wrote? Her smell. He had certainly got his fill the last time they met. She shuddered again, remembering the day she, Harry, and Ron were caught by snatchers. Greyback took charge of her, and it was all sniffing, licking, and wandering hands. She fought down her disgust at the memory.

She took a deep breath. Hermione knew she needed to remain calm. She would just take the letter to Harry and see what he thought. Tomorrow was Sunday, so Harry would be home, unless something came up. With that, Hermione threw the letter onto her kitchen table, and went off to shower and calm down.

As she was showering, she couldn't help but think about what else was in the note. Clearly, the remaining death eaters were unhappy with the Malfoys. After all, Narcissa had lied to Voldemort about Harry being alive, starting the circumstances that allowed Harry a chance to finish him. Draco had never wanted to be a death eater. Everyone was aware of that. And then there was Lucius. During the final battle, he had abandoned all the death eaters and the Dark Lord in favor of finding his son. Narcissa was no longer here, but the male Malfoys could still be in the sights of all the dark wizards still on the run after their defeat. There was bound to be some hard feelings, especially after Lucius had given up the names of just about every wizard siding with Voldemort during his trial, and his subsequent release and freedom. Surely though, they didn't intend to use her against the elder Malfoy. His disdain for her was obvious. If she were to disappear, surely he would view it as a gift of fate, thus rendering her tormentor's actions useless.

She sighed once more, stepped out of the shower, and went to bed. She couldn't sleep. She knew her home was warded, that all the doors were locked, and that no one could apparate in, but she was still uneasy. She got back out of bed and performed charms to ensure that all the wards in home were indeed still active, and checked that no one could enter through the doors or windows. Finally, she knew she had to go back to bed and get some rest. She tossed and turned fitfully, finally falling into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke with sore muscles and tired eyes. Though she had finally fallen asleep, it had been fitful at best, and her body was not reacting well. She got up and went to make tea. She spotted the letter on the table, and decided that maybe she should talk to Harry. He was an Auror and should be able to give her a better understanding of what should happen next.

After dressing, she floo called Harry to make sure he was home. After confirming this with Ginny, she floo'd over to Grimmauld Place. Harry was just coming down the stairs when she finished dusting the ash off her clothes. He broke into a huge smile.

"'Mione! How are you?" He said as he pulled her into a hug. She laughed.

"I'm doing alright. How are you and Ginny doing?"

"Perfect as ever." And she could tell he truly meant it. She was so happy that Harry was able to find peace after the war. "What brings you by so early on a Sunday?" Hermione's smile faltered. She pulled out her letter and handed it over to him. He read through the letter and looked back up at her. "'Mione, this looks like it might have come from…"

"Greyback, I know." She sighed. "That's what I thought too." She sat down at the table. Harry followed her lead and sat across from her.

"Hermione, Greyback hasn't been seen in months, not since he fled the battle. If he is back, this could be bad. We have no idea what he has been up to these last few months."

"I know, Harry. The question is, how do we find out? Has anyone ever received a written threat from Greyback? Can anyone verify that he is the one who sent it? If we come out and announce it without verifying, we could cause a panic over him for nothing. People would be terrified to learn that he is back, that he may start attacking others. I think with all the confusion over the battle, people have just put him out of mind. I would hate to bring all that back while there is a possibility that it is not him."

"I know. And we still have teams of Aurors looking for him, and any information pertaining to his whereabouts. What about Lucius? The note mentions him specifically. Maybe he could recognize the writing. I will also ask the department if they have heard anything new or had any sightings"

"Yes. That would be good. I have to see Lucius later anyway. I will ask him then." She smiled at Harry, and he grabbed her hand.

"It will be alright, 'Mione. You know Ron and I would never let anyone hurt you." She stood up and went over to hug him.

"I know, Harry. Thank you. I knew I would feel better after talking to you." She kissed his cheek, promised to floo him later, and went back to her flat.

* * *

Hermione spent the rest of her day off cleaning. When she was stressed, or angry, or worried, she cleaned.

Maybe she was worrying too much. Harry would be looking into it at the ministry. If she did bring this up to Lucius, he would probably just blow her off. And it may all come to nothing. Also, she wasn't due to meet with him again for a few days, and after yesterday's meeting, had no desire to do so any sooner than she had to.

She knew that avoiding him in anger was counterproductive. She had very little time to sort things out and get to know him as best she could before the wedding. Being angry would only make it worse. She knew she should just go and have an adult conversion with him, but she just didn't want to. This wasn't only about him. Arthur was important to her. If she gave an inch, he would take a mile. The people she loved weren't the inches she wanted, or was willing, to give. She would just meet with him on Tuesday, as planned.

* * *

The week started out rather well. She had owled the planner back and forth regarding smaller matters, flowers and such, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. It was now Tuesday, and she was due to meet Lucius for lunch in a few minutes. She gathered her things and apparated away to the designated restaurant. She was led to a table where Lucius was already waiting. On catching sight of her, he stood and waited for her to be seated. The sight of him brought back why she had been avoiding him for the last few days. She sighed and took her seat.

"Ms. Granger. I am happy you could make it."

"Of course." She replied shortly. Lucius looked at her for a moment.

"There are a few more details we need to work out after we finish our meal." Hermione nodded. And with that, they placed their orders. As expected, the food was perfect. No one could say that the Malfoys didn't have excellent taste.

After eating they discussed the ceremony. Hermione wanted to keep it small and simple. Lucius wanted to make it the grandest event of the year. Hermione put her foot down when he suggested that she have 7 bridesmaids. He finally compromised and let her settle for Ginny as her maid of honor, and one bridesmaid. Luna. As Lucius was limited in choices for groomsmen, being that most of his acquaintances were dead or in Azkaban, Draco and Theo Nott would be standing for him.

Neither brought up the argument they had Saturday. As they were wrapping up, Hermione remembered one more thing.

"Oh! One more thing." She hesitated, looking away from Lucius. He waited for her to continue. Still without looking at him, she said, "The Saturday one week before the wedding is the ministry Charity Ball for Families of War Victims. I was just going to go with Harry and Ron, but with everything going on, they have made plans to attend with their matches."

"Are you asking if I will accompany you to this ball?" Lucius asked. She finally brought her eyes up to meet his and squared her shoulders, preparing to accept his refusal.

"I am. I think it would lend its way toward us getting to know one another." She stated. He looked thoughtful, and then for just a moment, a small smile crossed his face before he could suppress it.

"Then I accept. I will pick you up that evening at 8pm and we will arrive together." She smiled, and followed him out of the restaurant. "Was there anything else, Ms. Granger?"

"Hermione. And no. I believe that is all for now." Saturday Hermione had plans to go dress shopping with Ginny, so they made plans to meet again that Sunday, and to include the planner.

* * *

Hermione apparated back to work. Overall, that went much better than expected, thought they still needed to talk about Arthur. That was a problem for another day. Just as she finished that thought, a letter landed on her desk. It was the official invitation to Harry and Ginny's wedding on the Wednesday, the ninth of December. Hermione smiled at the memory of how happy Harry and Ginny were. She put the invitation in her bag to take home later.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, Lovelies! I know it has been a long break. I have actually been working on an original novel, and been writing that like crazy. It is coming along well. I think I have finally gotten my writing schedule under control, though. My muse needed a break from that, so I am giving her something else to focus on. I am hoping to make weekly updates again, but you know how life is. I appreciate all the love I have gotten. I thank all of you for helping me. My muse feeds off of all of you! ~ Eira**


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